High mileage

Hi I'm new here and this is my first post I had a boxster for 4 years but sold it and took a break for 2 years I now have an offer of a 996 with 150,000 on the clock. It has the ims done plus a new clutch I'm just wondering what should I look out for at this mileage and what sort of mileage should I expect to get from this engine the car is a 1999. Thanks for any advise

At 150,000 miles, the list is long my friend so not sure someone is going to list it all out. Check the maintenance records if available. Get a PPI that hopefully will identify problems/potential problems. If you get the car, change all of the fluids/filters/belts, etc. to give you a good baseline for the future. Good luck! As an aside - ANY car purchased with 150,000 miles is going to have problems that need to be addressed. A Porsche is no different. As for future mileage, check out some of the threads on High Mileage cars.

If the car has been kept up to date with maintenance (meaning everything works and nothing has been neglected), AND it passes a PPI, AND the price is right, then maybe this is a car you should buy. But if there are more than 1 or 2 things that need to be fixed, even if they're minor, I'd walk away. Anyone who neglects the small stuff probably isn't going out of their way to take of the big stuff (although IMS replacement is a good sign). As a former Porsche owner you have a leg up on things, but I'd tread carefully.

I will be looking at the car today I spoke to the owner and it the ims the rms were done as a preventive measure as it was not gone and he states he has all the history from day one new breaks new drop links belts water pump thermostat chain tensioner and aos not sure what that is. The current owner and last owner have been members of the Porsche club so fingers crossed

IMHO, engine life at those miles can get schetchy, so the PM stuff has to have been done and done timely. I'd still worry about the internals that usually don't have a PM like chains and chain guides, internal bearings, etc. if one wants to keep it running w/o a CEF, one would need to eventually drop the engine and do those. What about AOS? But there are other things to consider as well e.g. suspension, transmission, diff, radiators, wheel bearings, interior wear, etc. For me, it would have to be a fine example and a very attractive price to consider it.

The price is very good I was drive my friends 996 last night with no history on the car and over 110,000 on the clock and the car seems spot on so I'll give this good look over

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Take it for a drive and see what you think.

I sold my car in March with 148,000 miles. The engine only had 75,000 miles on it (due to the oil filter housing being knocked off by road debris and starving the engine of oil at 133,000 miles). That car was in beautiful condition and ran like a top. Personally, I'm not a low-mileage car guy. As a general rule, I think low-mileage vehicles are over-valued. These cars are anywhere from 11 to 16 years old now. Maintenance history is the key. A 16 year old car is going to have maintenance needs no matter how many miles it has on it. Some people might go so far as to say a low-mileage 996 could have more potential maintenance problems than a high-mileage one (I won't go into that - it is well-discussed on here already). Now, you have to adjust your thinking when buying a high-mileage car. Many people on Rennlist recommend a $5,000+ regimen of replacing perfectly good parts whenever somebody buys a 996 because, you know, "someday those things might fail so replace them now." I agree with fluid changes to establish a baseline if current in-service times are unknown. But, with a 150,000 mile car, you don't go replacing a bunch of parts preemptively. You replace them when they break. Yes, at some point, a big and expensive part may implode. Guess what - that happens with low-mileage cars too. The difference is that you're not going to have a $25,000 purchase price plus the $5,000 in "post-purchase, preemptive parts swapping" invested in the car. I'll bet your purchase price is going to be around $10,000 (unless it's an aerokit car, then it should be around $14,000). If something big and expensive gives out on your $10,000 car, you sell the carcass for $6,000 and move on. Again, as others above have said, the key is buying a well-maintained car. That sounds exactly like what you are getting. It will have a few needs - all used cars do, even the low-mileage ones. But, if it generally has been well-kept, then I say go for it. The risk is low due to the low price of entry. The risk-reward ratio is very high, though. You might realistically get 190,000 or more miles out of that car as described with just normal maintenance items required before something big goes out. Then you sell out for $6,000. If it plays out that way, you will have gotten one of the most cost-effective Porsche experiences in history. The 996 is an historic bargain in Porsches. I think someday we will all be telling stories about how you could buy a perfectly good 996 for $10,000. EDIT: And '99 models have proven to be an especially good year for 996s.

I'm afraid our prices in Europe are a good bit higher but still it's cheap for what it is. I was thinking along the lines of its well looked after the owner was doing something right to keep the car going to 150,000 it also just passed our national car test which is quite tough. Fingers crossed on this as if it's not a good car I'll be getting a 2.5 boxster for tax reasons.

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What to look out for? Everything. That the car/engine has reached 150K miles and assuming the engine doesn't scare the bejesus out of you with scary noises when you fire it up from cold indicates the car/engine were given reasonable care and probably not abused. Get a 15 mile test ride and then a 15 mile test drive to get a feel for how the car/engine behave. Get a PPI. Impossible to say what additional mileage is left in the engine/car. An engine is only as strong as its weakest link and all it takes is for one rod bolt to fail and the engine's probably toast. But if you get the car for the right price the "risk" could be tolerable. The engine could reach big miles. And probably will, though of course I make no promises. While it is not the same engine there is a Turbo with over 400K miles on its engine. The engine was torn down a while back by the owner expecting to find wear but none was found. There is my 2002 Boxster with over 290K miles on its original engine and I'm driving the car every day at least 60 miles to/from work and the engine sounds just fine and runs just fine. You have to keep you eyes open for signs of pending trouble. Cooling system problems can arise and these can take out an engine, lead to localized overheating and a cracked head or block. There is of course the rest of the car: power steering, rack, A/C compressor, alternator, what have you. While if one of these goes on the fritz and doesn't portend doom for the engine you need to be aware issues can develop/arise at any time.

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I'm not really sure we are even there yet. More than a few people (myself included) are priced out a bit from the older models, and then stumble on the 996, for a great price, AND we don't feel bad about putting a ton of miles on it! Just think of how many more high mile cars will be popping up in the market, and these could have been produced in too high of volumes to really be collectable (the regular ones at least). So, IMO, they should stay affordable for a long time.

I totally agree with kcattoney. I bought my 04 C4S with 106,000 miles. I now have 122,000. I've spent abut $5,000 fixing stuff that broke but that also includes replacing the top. I'm very happy with the purchase and can get close to my purchase price because of the maintenance records I now have. Go for it.

I have 122+ on my '99 without any major issues. I bought the car optioned like I wanted, at a price that made sense. I wasn't really looking for a 100k+ mileage car, but it was the right car, the right seller and has been a great experience. Having several Mercedes/AMG, Porsche, Lotus, etc., there are parameters that come with owning/operating a higher mileage european car. I've always chosen to let someone else take the huge depreciation hit of a new car and opportune on a bargain from the right seller later in the car's life. I have lots of cool toys to play with, at the price of one new supercar. Any brand or mileage used car is a gamble +/-, after all, they are only nuts and bolts. And money, lol.

My 99 C4 with 140K is still going strong. i purchased it with 130K and after the PPI (post purchase inspection) it has a clean bill of health. No records with the purchase but i can see the Trans, AOS, water pump have been replaced. i have pulled the pan, installed LN spin on and mag drain plug with DT40. Replaced front CV boots, rear track rods, Rear axels, alternator, and last week the passengers window came to a screeching stop. She uses 1/2 Qt of oil in 3K and that included a track day at Laguna Seca (1:52.3 best lap). The only reason i bought it with the lack of records and such is that it is sooo clean, nice options and the price was right. If i can get another 10K - Year out of the motor i will be ready to pony up for a 3.6 upgrade rebuild of the motor. Plan to keep it a long time and turn it into a sweet track car that is still long range commute capable.

The answer in a 'nut shell'....The problem with such a high mileage car is there are many 99 models with half that mileage on the market. Why are you even giving this one consideration. If you cannot afford a higher priced 996 then save up before looking around. Having the IMSB replaced on a 99 job with less than 1% failure rate (Jake Raby says so) says nothing at all for this car. More than likely the engine will need a complete rebuild before it reaches 2000, 000 thats in 5 years. To even keep this car with the intention of 'running it into the ground' is going to cost you big bucks any way. And as far as resale.. uuuummmm. Look at something with half that mileage. Preferably a 99 job. See how much it cost thirdreef....even though he may have got a sweet deal for tracking and hammering the car. Enough said.

So I bought the car and have been out in it all weekend and I can't fault it the wheels will need a refurb but that's it great history with the car it's been owned by members of the Porsche club since it was bought.

There is very few 996 here with under 100,000 the only other car currently for sale unless I looked at a c4 or convertable but neither are as desirable since the recession in Ireland many of the best 911 were exported to the UK so they are a lot less common now and with very high import tax it is not really an option to import one as the exchange rate is bad plus 36% tax. I'll take a video of the car and post it later

Looks like you had already made your mind up as you posted. It's a nice looking car as expected. However, as you more than likely know, looks are only skin deep and mean nothing to how the car runs. Even a video proves nothing. You had your mind set on this one and fair play to you. May the 'luck of the Irish' be on your side.

Let's hope so

Wow, so that's what a piece of sh** 150,000 mile car looks like. I realize it runs just fine and everything now, but you are better to just go push it off a cliff. Someday, something might break on it, and then where will you be? By the way, here's what my piece of sh** looked like at 144,000 miles a few months before I sold it. I sold it to some poor unsuspecting guy. Yeah, it ran perfect. Yes, he got it dirt cheap because of the mileage. But, someday, something might break on it, and then where will he be? Congrats on your purchase spr - it is a beautiful car. And, guess what, you'll never have to worry about racking up a bunch of miles on it. ENJOY!

Allow me to introduce my 996 piece of **** with 150K miles on the odo This one will be going over the cliffs pretty soon as soon as the cig lighter no longer works